FSC® COC Certification Granted to Herrington's

Exceptional Designation = Greener Building Options for Healthier Community

“This certification is a very big step in an extensive Green Initiative Program we have underway,” confirmed Patrick Thilmany, Business Development Manager at Ed Herrington, Inc.

(Hillsdale, NY) – Ed Herrington, Inc. is pleased to announce it has formally received Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) Chain of Custody Certification granted by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) #SCS-COC-002262. The SCS is accredited by the FSC® to certify companies to their international standards. This internationally-renowned recognition includes Herrington’s as one of a small but growing number FSC® certified lumber yards in the Tri-state region, the geographic area long served by the company. This unique certification is effective immediately and allows customers to purchase and receive specially-designated, well-managed wood building products at Herrington’s Hillsdale NY store, located at 312 White Hill Lane.

According to their web site (http://www.fscus.org/about_us/), The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) “was created to change the dialogue about and the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide. Products bearing the FSC® logo, which guarantees that the wood came from a certified well-managed forest, are available across the world. Any FSC® labeled product can be traced back to a certified source. “Herrington’s Hillsdale NY store is now one of only a few lumber yards in the entire Upstate New York – New England region to hold this certification. FSC® Chain of Custody Certification means that Herrington’s meets strict tracking requirements for ensuring that products they sell as FSC®-certified come from a well-managed forest. This is an enormous improvement in the availability of environmentally-friendly building products for Herrington’s customers.

“We must do two important things: advise our customers about the existence of these responsibly managed products, and make sure we are the most convenient and educated resource for purchasing and utilizing these items,” confirmed Ed Herrington, CEO, Ed Herrington, Inc. “In the building industry, the concept of “environmentally responsible” is moving from a niche field to being right at the core of the industry. Increased federal involvement with financing and housing will bring increased standardization of building practices, and with concerns about extinguishing natural resources, that means more requirements for LEED and other sustainable building projects. We want to be fully prepared to help our customers and communities meet these impending challenges in the best possible way.”

In order to obtain this important FSC®-certification status, Herrington’s needed to compose a Chain of Custody procedural document, which details how Herrington’s staff are trained in the handling and sales of FSC®-certified products, a critical link in the preserving the “chain” that connects the plantation that grows the wood to the ultimate consumer who will build a new home with it.

The certification process for Herrington’s was carried out by the Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) (http://www.scscertified.com/aboutSCS/). According to their own website, the SCS is “an FSC®-accredited, independent, “third-party” certifier. SCS certifiers evaluate both forest management activities and Chain-of-Custody (COC) tracking for mills, manufactures and distributors. COC certification addresses a company’s ability to track certified products throughout their inventory and distribution processes.”

With this newfound FSC® certification in hand, Herrington’s will be able to place special orders for the FSC®-certified building products customers increasingly desire. In the very near future, the company will have FSC®-certified products available on-site at the Hillsdale store.

At Herrington’s, FSC® recognition is a significant development within the company’s larger Environmentally Responsible(sm) Product Sourcing Program. A proprietary system developed in-house at Herrington’s over several years, the program was designed to help customers quickly and easily find the most earth-friendly products in the company’s extensive inventory.

“This certification is a very big step in an extensive Green Initiative Program we have underway,” confirmed Patrick Thilmany, Business Development Manager at Ed Herrington, Inc. “Soon we will have staffers certified by other national entities concerned with best-use building practices and state-of-the-art sustainable development. Customers and local projects -- like the new LEED-certified public library building project in Hillsdale – will benefit even more from the newly-acquired professional development and certification of our on-site experts.”

About Ed Herrington, Inc.

Ed Herrington, Inc. was established in Hillsdale, NY in 1906. Long a leader in providing exceptional lumber, millwork, and building supplies, today the family owned and operated company has five locations in Hillsdale, Hudson, Chatham and Millerton NY, and in Lakeville, CT. In April 2008, Ed Herrington Inc. launched its Environmentally Responsible(sm) Product Sourcing Program and is now a Forest Stewardship Council®-certified supplier of responsibly-managed forestry products.